Saturday, January 28, 2012

Thursday was my oldest brother's, Vinnie, birthday. Tonight we are getting together, along with a couple of friends of ours (one of whom had a birthday last week as well). Vinnie's dessert request was cupcakes. I used this opportunity to cross off an item off my 30 Challenging Foods Before 30 list. I made these. Had to sample one. Or two. (I worked out this morning, it's like I never sampled any! Yes, logic reigns supreme here.) I'm slightly hopped up on the sugar now. Maybe I should have limited myself to just one.

Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and add into the wet mixture. Whisk the batter together until almost all the lumps are gone. Add in a small amount of the port wine to help thin the batter. Once it is incorporated, slowly add in the remaining wine, whisking continuously. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and make sure that there are no lumps.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Port Wine Reduction Syrup:

1 3/4 cup port wine
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the wine, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Remove from heat to cool. Set aside.

Raspberry Creme Fraiche Filling:

1 cup creme fraiche

1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Mix the creme fraiche with the raspberry preserves to combine in a small bowl. Place into the fridge until ready to assemble.

French Chocolate Mousse:

6 ounces chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream, COLD

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). Melt the chocolate and butter together and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate, 1 by 1, beating with a whisk until incorporated. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Beat the heavy cream in a chilled bowl until it begins to foam and thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla. Continue to whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.

Gradually and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, delicately fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse. Refrigerate at least an hour before assembling.

Assembly:

Using an apple corer, remove a piece of the cupcake from the center.

Pour with 1 teaspoon Port Wine Reduction Syrup.

Then fill the cupcake with the Raspberry Creme Fraiche Filling using a piping bag.

Using a large star tip, pipe the chilled French Chocolate Mousse onto the cupcake.

Last Thursday was my oldest brother's birthday. His request was a cupcake with creme cheese frosting. I chose the Chocolate Port Cupcakes for the "fancy" type, I knew that the chocolate on chocolate may be a little rich for everyone, I also made a simple white cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

This month, I read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns) by Mindy Kaling. I have to say this was the PERFECT choice for January reading. One, it was a fast read (took me only a few nights, mainly because I didn't want to put it down). Two, it had me literally laughing out loud. For once if I were to use "lol", it's actually be true. She puts down to paper the same things we all think about during awkward situations, or at least what we all think 30 minutes after the fact since we're rehashing the event to perfect our what would have been witty comeback. Even during difficult times in her life, she still manages to put a smile on my face, all while having my sympathy. While books like Chelsea Handler's are funny, this one is hilarious and much more relatable. I now want to be Mindy Kaling's friend. My only complaint is the book read SO quickly that I feel like other books I pick up are going to be dull and boring in comparison. Tragic.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

As you may have already seen, I recently posted a 30 before 30 list of all the things I want to do before turning 30 years old. I thought that since this is a food blog that I also do a 30 before 30 list only filled with dishes and techniques I want to master (or give a valiant effort) before 30. This list took me several weeks to compile and I have done one so far. #11 Profiteroles, which was just recently posted here.

I get to cross something off my 30 before 30 list! I finished my first crochet project. Given, there is much more to crochet than just a double stitch and granny square, I still count this as a success. The lucky recipient is Patience, the sweet baby of my friends Kim and Patrick.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

On Saturday, I had dinner with my friend Kelly, her husband, and his childhood friend. I prepared the dinner with the help of Kelly (true friends are those who let you boss them around in the kitchen). We made homemade liguini with a lemon cream sauce and asparagus and chicken stuffed with goat cheese and sun dried tomatos. For dessert, cream puffs. These were my favorite! And definitely not diet-approved, but oh so worth it!*Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, continuously stirring until the butter melts. Add the flour and rapidly stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Crack 4 eggs into the dough (save one of the eggs for brushing), beating with a wooden spoon after each addition. Combine completely before adding the next egg. Using a pastry bag, pipe 2 inch mounds onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. They will spread slightly.

Briefly whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush over the dough. Avoid dripping the egg on the baking sheet.

Bake the pastries until they are amber brown, about 30 minutes. Allow the pastries to cool completely. When cooled completely, using a serrated knife, cut the tops off the pastry and set aside. Spoon the mascarpone mixture into the pastries and top with its lid.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Using a mixer, beat the mascarpone, ricotta, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Place in a air tight container and refrigerate until ready to fill, or at least 30 minutes.

Add the hazelnuts to a saucepan of rapidly boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes, then run cold water over them. Using a paper towel, rub the husks off the hazelnuts. Chop the hazelnuts and bake for about 4-5 minutes at 425 degrees or until lightly golden. Do not allow to burn.

For the topping, combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds until warm. Stir the mixture until well combined and smooth. Spoon the chocolate-hazelnut sauce atop the pastries. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a muffin pan. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sugar. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and butter together. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and combine well. Add in the chocolate chips and marshmallows and combine with a wooden spoon.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes, checking regularly since these can burn easily.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Keftedes are Greek meatballs. These are a slight twist on them. They are not made with lamb or beef, but rather zucchini. They are filling and the tangy yogurt compliments the crisp and salty of the patties.

Using a food processor, chop the zucchini and place on several paper towels. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Then put the zucchini in a medium sized bowl. Mix in green onions, dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel, and black pepper. Add the panko, egg, and feta. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan (or large pan if you don't have a grill pan) over medium heat. (Add 2 tablespoons olive oil only if you are using a regular pan, grill pans don't need the oil typically). Using 3-4 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into patties, about an inch thick. You can also shape them into more traditional round meatballs. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flours. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then the lime juice and zest, and food coloring. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon batter into liners, about 3/4 full.

Yesterday, I was trolling the Bon Appetite website. I needed some fresh ideas for seasonal recipes. This dish was out of this world! It does take some prep time between all the chopping and peeling and it is multi-step; however, completely worth it. So be sure to set aside a couple of hours between the prepping AND baking time. I was so enthralled with this that I called up my friend Chelsea (hi Chelsea!) and let her know that I was bringing her lunch today. Hits the spot, particularly on a cold winter day.*Recipe adapted from Bon Appetite website.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring 6 cups water and bouillon base to boil, stirring to dissolve bouillon. Add carrots, celery, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, and mushrooms. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; reserve vegetables and broth. (Don't dump out the broth!)

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until beginning to brown, about 5- minutes. Mix in garlic and rosemary; stir 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved broth, then cream and Sherry. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is thick and reduced to 4 cups, whisking often, about 15 -20 minutes. Mix in reserved vegetables and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer filling to buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

In a medium sized bow, combine the flour, baking powder, rosemary, and salt. Using you hands, add the butter and combine until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly, in batches, add the buttermilk, mixing with your hands until combined. Dough should be moist, but not wet and soggy.

Then after the filling has been cooling for about five minutes (you still want it to be hot), break the dough into pieces and drop on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, until tops of dough turns lightly golden brown.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

This post is less about food (though there are a few food related goals on here) and more about the things I want part of my life. I have a year and a half before turning 30. Rather than doing a traditional bucket list, I'm doing a 30 before 30 list. I would've posted this list on January 1st, but I was having trouble getting the last few ideas. Let's see how many things I can cross off!

1. Re-learn Italian. I used to be quite good at Italian, spoke some with family and even took two years worth in college. I need to reconnect to my heritage more and language is a great way to do so.

2. Create and maintain an emergency fund.If you're anything like me, money is always an issue. There's always something coming up. For the sake of peace of mind, an emergency fund is a must. I'm not sure if I can realistically do more than three months, so we'll shoot for that.

3. Move back to Arizona. Arizona is where I consider home and where I have been most happy. I cannot wait to get back there.

4. Enroll in a doctoral program. This is a big "if" at this point. I have applied to schools and we'll see if I get in. I will find out in about a month (I should probably put patience on this list too since the wait is killing me).

5. Do a Bikram 30 day challenge. I have been practicing Bikram for years. The closest I ever got to a 30 day challenge was practicing 6 times a week. Something always came up (mainly because I was working such long hours I missed classes for the day). Ideally, I want to have my 30th class in 30 days to end on my 30th birthday.

6. Write "just in case" letters to my family. Letters for my loved ones to know how I feel about them in my life in case anything should happen to me, I wouldn't die not knowing for sure that they knew how much they mean to me.

7. Pay off credit cards. This one is going to be a challenge (especially if I complete #4). It's always hung over my head and over the last year, I've been working to get them gone!

8. Fall in love. This is another big "if". We'll see what happens.

9. Archive family photos, history, and stories. I don't want to lose the stories of my family to time. It's important to know where you come from and humanize the people in your life...know the real them.

10. Read one book for fun each month. In particular, I want to re-read my favorite author's books (Jane Austen).

11. Own a Le Creuset French oven. I love the cast iron Le Creuset line. In particular, I want this one.

12. Buy & drink a bottle of wine that cost me at least $30. (If I get it in a restaurant, it'll be a $60 of wine!)

13. Finish my blanket. I've been working on a scrap knitted blanket for about two years now. It's maybe 1/4 done. I need to actually make something I keep for me.

14. Learn to crochet. I have all my grandmother's crochet needles, yarn, etc. and really need to do something with it all. She was amazing at crochet and knitting.

15. Write a handwritten note for a friend once a month. I love receiving a giving real letters (you know, with a stamp and whatnot); Always makes me feel loved and puts a smile on my face.

16. Visit & backpack Zion National Park. So beautiful! I regret not visiting there when I lived closer.

17. Write one thing I am grateful for each day. Pretty self explanatory.

18. Get up one hour early for one week. This will do a couple of things. One I've been going to bed so late that I struggle to get up in the morning and this will force me to fall alseep earlier. Two, I want to spend this extra time making a good breakfast (instead of eating on the go), read the newspaper, etc. Not start my day in such a fog.

19. Take insurance pictures. This is another peace of mind thing, especially if I'll be moving. Want to take pictures of my valuables for my renters insurance.

20. Operation Beautiful at least 30 times. This is the idea that you surprise people with anonymous notes telling them they are loved, beautiful just they way they are, etc. Spreading positive thing and energy. (It'd be nice to go into a public bathroom and see a note of encouragement as opposed to other things written on the walls.)

21. Compile and organize my recipes. I have recipes scattered all over the place. On this blog, on my flash drive, hard drive, random scrapes of paper...time to actually see what I have.

22. Get an Advanced Health Care Directive, Living Will, and Will drawn up. Again with the peace of mind. I used to have a living will, but it has expired long ago. It's time to know that in case something happens, my wishes will be upheld...and to figure out specifically what those wishes are.

23. Send out two care packages for a friend. I love receiving fun mail... i.e. not bills. A package of little things to let someone know I'm thinking of them.

24. Host a dinner party/get together for friends/family every other month. I love hosting people at my home and cooking for them. (Food is love in my house.) It'll be a great way to make sure I'm staying connected with those who mean the most to me in my life.

25. Take a martial arts class. Something fun about the idea of learning control, exercising, and kicking someone's butt all at the same time.

26. Hike Havasupai. This is another thing I regret not doing when I lived in Arizona. See amazing pictures here.

27. Attend a chocolate festival. Do I even really need to explain this one???

28. Find a good lipstick. To this day, I still have not found a good lipstick I feel looks good on me. I don't actually own any currently. I thought I found a decent shade recently and that was a bust once I got it home. Every woman should own a vixen red lipstick at some point or another.

29. Go to a black tie affair. I want to dress up in a formal dress and have a great night out.

30. Volunteer more often. I tend to have bursts of volunteer work. I'd like to find something that I can volunteer my time (not just money) with on a more regular basis.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

If you're anything like me you probably LOVE bananas. Raw bananas, in crepes, baked, caramelized, chocolate banana shakes...it's all fantastic. But, as million others during the new year, I have been trying to eat more healthfully. At least I can say I started this quest about a month ago when I was able to start exercising again. (Silly cracked rib cartilage) Problem is most of my recipes I know with bananas aren't exactly the most healthy. This is my attempt to "healthify"--I'm like a president making up my own words--banana muffins.

When I lived in Arizona, one of my favorite restaurants was Z'Tejas. Whenever I visit there, I have to eat there. My friend Kelly and I always get the same thing for an appetizer. Grilled shrimp tostados with guacamole. So amazing. This is my attempt to recreate them.

In a food processor, blend the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and garlic. Add the cilantro and pepper. Blend well. Add the shrimp and pesto to a ziplock bag. Seal well and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes.

In a food processor, mince the tomato, cilantro, and onion. Place in a small bowl. Then add the avocado in the food processor until smooth and add to the small bowl. Combine well and add salt to taste (not too much).

Chipotle sauce:

1 small can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (found mine in Whole Foods)

Easiest part! Simply puree the chipotle peppers (with the sauce). You only need a couple of tablespoons, so the reserve may be frozen.

Shrimp:

Heat a grill pan over medium to high heat. Add the shrimp to the grill and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side.

Assembly:

Top the crackers with a small amount of guacamole. Add a small amount of chipotle puree (more for more spice). Then top with the hot shrimp. Enjoy while warm!

Happy New Year! Last night I spent the evening with my close friends Sandi and Chris, along with two other couples. Chris had given me a challenge to make a beef wellington for dinner. This of course was a challenge for a couple of reasons. One being that I haven't cooked beef in well over a year. Another is that this dish is one that Food Network challengers always mess up...meat is too well done, too under cooked, pastry too soggy, etc. Lots of things that could go wrong. Of course, I welcomed the challenge, especially one that make me imagine that I'm being scolded by Chef Ramsey. Thankfully, while I'm sure Ramsey would be dropping the F bomb all over my kitchen, it turned out incredible! Woohoo! It did take a few hours to prep and cook, but it was well worth it.

Heat a medium skillet under medium high heat. Add the butter and oil to the pan. Meanwhile, in a food processor, mince the garlic, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Cook until dry (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large pan, heat until hot. Meanwhile, coat the beef with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides (only sear, do not cook for long). Allow to sit for ten minutes.

On a large cutting board (or flat surface), place a large piece of plastic wrap. Lay the prosciutto flat on the plastic wrap so you can wrap the meat in it. Spread the entire mushroom mixture on top of the prosciutto.

Brush the meat with mustard and place on top of the mushroom mixture. Wrap with the meat with the prosciutto. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll of out the puff pastry in a large rectangle, enough to be able to wrap the meat completely.

Remove the plastic wrap from the meat and place it in the middle of the pastry. Brush the corners of the pastry with the egg wash. Fold the pastry around the meat and seal well. Brush entire pastry surface with egg wash. Make large slits in the top of the pastry (down to the prosciutto). Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place on a baking pan.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cook the meat until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the green peppercorn sauce.

Heat olive oil to a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme to the pan. Cook for two minutes and then add the brandy. Light with a long kitchen match. Allow to burn. Reduce to half. Add the beef stock and reduce to half. Strain out the solids. Add the cream and the peppercorn. Reduce by half. Season to taste with salt. Serve with meat.

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About Me

I grew up watching and learning from my dad cooking in the kitchen. He somehow managed to take what looked like "nothing to eat" and turn it into a feast. He taught me how to appreciate and love food.
It seems like life has a habit of getting in the way of what we all rather be doing (eating and cooking mostly!). Sometimes you have to slow down and make real food. It's one of the best comforts available.